When Flora’s family adopted a 20-year-old cat named Dexter, the energetic malamute fell hard for him, and the pair became best friends. The family adopted Dexter from Best Friends Animal Society knowing he may not have much time left — but when he passed away two years later, it was still incredibly hard on everyone, especially Flora.

“Flora was very worried and sad,” Jill Williams, Flora’s mom and a manager at Best Friends Animal Society, told The Dodo. “She paced around and whimpered. She spent a lot of time outside and did not want to come in. She would howl, which she rarely does, and it broke our hearts.”

To try and help ease Flora’s pain, the family adopted two young cats, but they didn’t like to cuddle with Flora the way Dexter did. Poor Flora still seemed to feel like something was missing — until her family decided to foster some kittens.

Originally, Williams decided to foster the kittens, named Iggy, Bowie, Roxy and Glamour, because she wanted to teach her kids the importance of fostering. She had no idea at the time that Flora was the one who would benefit the most.

The moment the kittens arrived at the family’s house, Flora began to perk up. After a few days of settling in, Flora and the kittens finally got to meet, and it was everything Flora had been wanting and needing since her beloved Dexter had passed away.

“All four of them immediately walked over to her, completely unfazed by her larger than life appearance,” Williams said. “Iggy was the first brave boy — he went right up and sniffed her nose. She gently brought her face down to meet his. He did not flinch or hiss. She got this huge smile on her face and then the other three came trotting over to say hello.”

From that moment on, the kittens became Flora’s. She now spends as much time with them as she possibly can, playing with them, watching over them, and always making sure that they’re as happy as they make her.

“We've been letting Flora explore the kittens every day,” Williams said. “She gets so happy when they approach her. Recently Bowie started to groom Flora. She just closes her eyes and starts to smile. When Flora enters the kitten room, they swarm around her. She gives them each a sniff and tiny lick, and finally she either hops up on the bed or circles around to find the best spot on the floor — wherever there are more kittens.”

Since the kittens are still very tiny and young, Flora can’t be left alone with them, and so her mom works from their bedroom as much as possible, so that Flora can soak up as much kitten time as she possibly can. The kittens seem to have given Flora a new lease on life, and in turn, Flora is helping to socialize the kittens and prepare them for their eventual forever homes.

Flora will likely be sad when her new kitten friends eventually have to leave, but now she knows that she can have friends as great as Dexter was.